Delayed trains, blocked staircase: What led to stampede at New Delhi railway station

New Delhi stampede: Railways officials said a crowd kept building up at platform number 14, from where the Prayagraj Express was set to depart.

A high-level probe has been ordered into the stampede that occurred on New Delhi railway station resulting in the deaths of 18 people. The stampede occurred after two trains to Prayagraj got cancelled, resulting in chaos on the platform.

Heavy rush of passengers to catch a train for Mahakumbh, at the New Delhi railway station.(PTI)

In a statement, the railway ministry said that a sudden surge in passengers caused '"panic" and led to passengers fainting amid the “unprecedented rush situation.”

Kumbh rush

Railways officials said a crowd kept building up at platform number 14, from where the Prayagraj Express was set to depart. The crowd had gathered to board trains to the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj. Two other Prayagraj-bound trains, the Swatantrata Senani Express and the Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani, which were set to leave from the station were delayed, which worsened the crowding.

“When Prayagraj Express was standing at platform number 14, a heavy crowd was present at the platform. Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani were delayed and passenger of these trains were also present at platform no. 12, 13 and 14. That’s why the crowd became uncontrollable,” said KPS Malhotra, DCP (Railways), suggesting there were two stampedes: “one at platform number 14 and another close the escalator near platform number 16”.

Staircase blocked to control crowd

Officials also said the stampede took place because one staircase each of Platform 14 and 15 were blocked by railway officials to control the crowd. However, as trains got delayed, more and more passengers got on the staircase. Officials said both the staircases were filled with people who were pushing each other to either move towards the train or towards the staircase. “This pushing led to many people falling and stampede. Others suffocated as the crowd kept swelling on the platform,” an official aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity.

The railway ministry has ordered a high-level probe into the stampede.